Job Discussion Forums

[kludde]

Thanks to everybody for keeping this forum informative and enjoyable. Internet at its best!

I have thirty years experience from the foreign service of a Nordic country, including a number of postings abroad. I am a Bachelor of Law and have university degrees in Spanish and French. Needless to say, I am a non-native speaker of English, but I think I can say I have a good level not least when it comes to the business lingo and the like.

For personal reasons that I will not try your patience describing, I have decided to be a "drop out" and shift focus in life. Teaching English in Vietnam seems to be one attractive option for starters.

I don�t want to sound presumptuous, but when I read the curricula of various four weeks TEFL courses I feel they are somehow too basic for my background. I have quite some experience in teaching/lecturing - I was Head of Training in the service for a couple of years.

I would be most grateful to receive any comments on how my background would be rated in the Vietnamese TEFL world. Can I realistically enter "the fast line" and do without the certificate? Where would be the best turf for me? Is there a market for private lessons in Vietnam? Can I get NY Herald Tribune in Hanoi?

I have done my homework, read previous posts in this forum, and been given to understand with some relief that "age is not a factor" ( I am 5.

[cha muir]

Dear Old Elephant,

It sounds to me like you are the perfect candidate for vietnam. i have to keep this brief; you should come to Vietnam on a business visa, good for six months. there are many many opportunities here. travel about. see how you like things. once you are here you will figure things out very quickly. i know that there are many opportunities for business teaching, corporate training for vietnamese staff of foreign and international companies.

I don't know about Hanoi since in live and work in Dalat.

Good luck,

cha

[Guest]

I was 56 when I was in Saigon last year and I was offered "teaching conversational English" positions everywhere I went.

I have now been "teaching" in China for the past 8 months and I have found that age is an asset not a liability.

I hope to teach at this School for another 3 years and then retire in a Unit near the Orphanage which I am 100% committed to.

Best of luck